


Third time's a charm

by skinnyallie



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Cunnilingus, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Malcolm wearing pricy suits makes Dani horny, Oral Sex, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Sexual Content, Shameless Smut, but there's a plot as well i promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:36:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24771751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skinnyallie/pseuds/skinnyallie
Summary: One day, in rather rather unusual chain of events, Malcolm is given a spare copy of keys to Dani's apartment. He feels very uncomfortable using them to get inside therefore it happens rarely, but it does. Here are those three times he used them to get inside and what followed after.
Relationships: Malcolm Bright & Dani Powell, Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Comments: 4
Kudos: 62





	Third time's a charm

**Author's Note:**

> I frankly don’t know how I ended up here, with 9k words. It was supposed to be a simple smut, a porn without plot. Inspired by a conversation with [Ryan ](https://bibright.tumblr.com/) (who so mercifully puts up with my bullshit) I wanted to play with the simple idea: Malcolm looks hot in suits, Dani is turned on by that.  
> But… As much as I adore pwp and I read them without any shame or guilt, somehow I feel terribly when I don't deliver plot to my porn, so here it is! Plot found its way in, only so I could make the whole fic out of this sentence: "Malcolm eats Dani out while wearing 3 piece suit". I would also name my playlist that, but I am a pussy and don't want to explain myself to my friends.  
> The playlist that I put into existence to accompany me during writing being ["i'm sure it'll be brightwell too"](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4UaVWRn6GL4Lh4uxkOaBJq?si=hs_va1vfRmCldINNfBblCA)  
> a word of warning, but y’all know what you’d clicked into: explicit content is in “third time”

##  **_prologue_ **

At this point Malcolm wasn’t sure _when_ , _how_ and more importantly _why_ he ended up with spare copy of keys to Dani’s apartment. They were attached to his, two metal rings encircled around each other. Both with a couple of shiny keys making a metallic clattering noise each time he swinged them around his finger or tossed them up and down in his hand. If Malcolm was to focus really, _really_ hard he could recall the incident that led to him not so much as a receiving copy of the keys, but rather never being asked to return those that ended up with him.

Dani had unhealthy tendency to lose her keys– or rather forgetting for a period of time where she put them. Then after up to a week she would just mindlessly pick them up, as if nothing has happened. She knew her problem and as a solution Dani had multiple copies, few of them were all around the precinct, sometimes in the most ridiculous spots (like at the bottom of the drawer in the next to the sofa in Gil’s office). Gil and JT never learned about problem of their colleague, if only because of her neighbour – an elderly lady who had a copy of her own in case Dani couldn’t find hers, so she always had a means to enter her apartment.

One morning Dani had entered the precinct in unnatural for her rush, frantically searching pockets of her trousers and jacket. When she was passing Malcolm’s desk her “good morning” was automatic and barely audible. Bright was sure if he would’ve asked her, she wouldn’t remember that she actually interacted with him. The moment she stepped inside Malcolm's stare was hanging on Dani's panicking silhouette. He was searching for clues how (and if at all) he should react. He was observing her for a solid fifteen minutes before finally approaching Dani's desk, where cramped into the uncomfortable office chair, she was digging through the content of her drawers.

"Everything all right?"

He asked merilly, trying to act as natural as he could, which even under usual circumstances was almost unachievable for him. Dani, not taking her head from the depths of the furniture, responded with a voice muffled by the walls of the drawer.

"Yeah. I just don't know where I left my keys and my neighbor is visiting her kids this month so if I won't find any of my copies, I can't get into my place."

Furrowing his brows at the stream of words coming from Dani, Bright pointed with his hands the route from the doors to her desk and spoke with confusion.

"But you just got here. You locked your door?" Malcolm tried to rationalize whatever was happening.

"Yes, of course. Then the keys I used in the morning got lost somewhere in my car. I can't be bothered with searching for anything there, I did my best and the hope is they'll be back in a week. But I'm sure I have at least two copies somewhere around here—"

Bright never saw Dani in a state like this, with nervous rambling uncomfortably filling the usually pleasant silence between them, rarely interrupted by their wit comments.

"Dani, relax. You’re making me stressed and I do not even fully understand what is going on."

Her head shot up, spine straightened as Dani breathed in slowly.

"I lose my keys at least twice a day. With time I made many copies, and now they're somewhere here or at my place, or with my friends and family. If I lose one copy, I usually find another. If I don't– then my neighbor has one, to save me from sleeping on the couch in Gil's office." Malcolm's smirk didn't pass unnoticed and Dani reciprocated it, adding to her story, "I don't recommend it, my back were killing me for a week after."

Then something bright shined in Dani's eyes and in quick motion of her hand all the pens and pencils from the NYPD's cup that was standing on her desk, were spilled on the surface. A familiar noise of metal against ceramics followed as the utensils were rolling away to the edge - three keys on a metal ring landed in the very middle.

"Congratulations." Malcolm said before her victorious reaction unfolded itself on her face. Dani sighted happily.

"Now, let's hope I won't lose those too."

"Can keep an eye on them, if you wish."

Dani eyed Malcolm and spoke a little daringly.

"I do," and without any further discussion the keys ended in Malcolm's hand.

As if nothing happened Dani cleaned her desk and gathered her typical professional demeanor. Then stood up and entered the conference room, ready to face all the details of another gruesome case.

Dumbfounded Malcolm Bright knotted his brows as his eyes shot wide open with bewilderment, following Dani with an empty gaze. He would never suspect Dani of commonly loosing keys and yet, that was the reality he was now to face. Malcolm hid the keys in the inside pocket of his jacket, trying to not give this too much thought, and followed the detective, to laid out another profile.

The evening came and this time it was Dani who approached Malcolm's desk. The moment he saw her, Bright reached to get the keys but she quickly stopped him with a gesture.

"No! No need. I found another copy so if you don't mind– can that one," Dani pointed at his chest, were the keys were, stumbling with her words. "Can that copy stay with you? You know, just in case..."

"No problem." Malcolm replied with a blunt face, even though the confusion at Dani notoriously misplacing her keys was still boiling up his mind. She never struck him as that kind of person.

"Thanks…" Her lips spread in tight smile as she walked away to the exit.

* * *

##  **_first time_ **

The life continued as it was, and Malcolm was trying to not give much thought to the fact he was in possession of the keys to Dani’s apartment. He sufficiently has ignored the existence of another keyring looped around the one with his own keys, every time he was opening doors to his loft. Every now and then when, the grasp of that knowledge made its way to his consciousness he tried to explain the weirdness. The reasoning behind him keeping the copy was very logic, very strange nonetheless. Luckly, Dani never needed that particular backup copy, so the matter has never been brought up in any conversation. Until now.

The new case was very twisted in its threads and the team had to invest more time and energy than usually to just unravel all the truth from various statements. Some art was stolen and testimonies didn’t add up. The theft was an inside job, that much they were sure of, but the body that dropped in the place of stolen painting wasn’t.

Malcolm stayed at the precinct till the late night hours, knowing very well he wouldn't utilize this time at home on anything - meaningful or not. And most certainly he wouldn't sleep. JT and Gil left them hours ago, but it went unnoticed as both Malcolm and Dani were deeply invested into rereading witnesses’ statements, tying to make sense out of them. Time was passing as the deep night creeped in. However, Bright’s insomnia concealed that with his natural need of no-need-to-sleep.

But Dani was so incredibly tired after hours of digging through files. She tried to fight the massive yawn, and she failed as her jaw opened and a tired sigh shot through the room. Her eyes teared up and Dani knew she was done for tonight. With weak “good night” on her lips she left Malcolm alone at table littered with stacks of statements. Despite that he answered her back he probably didn’t even notice she was leaving, and his “good night” was rather a mindless response that surfaced to the top of his consumed by work brain.

When she was stepping through the exit door, Dani turned around on her heel, one last time for today striked by the sane though. She went back to the conference room and froze right at the doorstep, not walking inside. She let herself enjoy the view before she spoke. What she saw was Malcolm Bright completely lost in his thoughts, standing at the table, hovering over the sheet of paper with a eye-witness testimony. His self-restraint was gone and the straight posture he presented himself with disappeared. 

Bright was leaning on the table, his arms wide spread to support him with all the determination sitting heavy on his shoulders. A deep navy blue suit was hugging the silhouette of his broad shoulders, muscular arms and narrow waist. White cuffs were peaking out on his wrists. Dani started anxiously swinging her hands buried deep in the pockets of her leather jacket, as she realised the sight of that man in a suit was doing things to her.

She knocked on the door frame in an attempt of getting his attention. And hers as well, frankly.

"Are we planning on following that lead?"

Malcolm rose his head at the sound of her voice. His lost gaze sharpened, body still leaning low above the papers on the table. She asked without unnecessary introduction to her thought, and just pointed to the stack of files laying abandoned at the edge of the table.

"Sure," he shrugged noncommittally. 

"Then I have an idea. Just come to my place in the morning, and we'll start right away."

"Okey."

"Great.” She started to turning around to walk away. “And Bright—"

"Hmm?" He already went back to reading and he rose his head with curiosity, focusing those blue eye on her.

"Don't stay here too long. It's unhealthy." Dani said caringly.

So that's how he basically promised Dani he will drop by her place in the morning, with whatever insightful mess of notes that he scribbled down during those three hours, alone in the conference room.

He left the precinct around 2 am, and as he’d predicted, Malcolm hasn't slept that night at all. After he returned home the sun has already started slowly graying up the sky, so now Bright felt completely justified to not even try to rest. He focused on chores and some physical activity. Then refreshed himself, reorganized the files he took from the precinct, popped his pills and was ready to head to meet up at Dani's place.

The decision to walk to her place was made without Malcolm’s consciousness and he realised that what has happened, only when he was just around the corner from her block. His phone chimed and a text popped up.

_I'm taking shower. You have keys so let yourself in and make us tea, would you?_

Dani left the keys with him in case she lost one of her copies, as a backup, an emergency to be used to get to her place. Malcolm has never suspected he would use those keys, no idea why he would do that has ever occurred to him. So the anxious knot twisted around his stomach at the vision of him using them now, due to reason so trivial as Dani wanting to take an undisturbed shower.

But she told him to use them, and she was loud and clear about that. And she demanded a tea for after she’ll be done with the shower. Malcolm smirked under his nose, wrestling with the doors to the building. Their friendship was strange, to say the least. Trust cripped between them in very non-traditional ways, like Dani felt totally comfortable with him seeing her naked body (and seeing his naked body). Yes, he found her attractive but there was nothing sensual about that; she didn’t try to seduce him - she just was a human, and trusted him enough to show him that.

Trying to not let anyone in the building know that he’s there, Bright avoided the elevator and took the stairs to climb the fifth floor, where Dani’s apartment was. Then, in the same trance of peace and quiet Malcolm reached her door. He could already hear the water running through the pipes in the wall. He took from his pocket a collection of keys and found the right one. It was the most used one, with coppery scratches on the narrow part, peeking through underneath the silver surface.

The moment doors closed behind him the stress evaporated. On the way inside Malcolm passed the bathroom and knocked on the door loudly, so she could hear it from under noise of water streams running down her face. Not receiving any response he cracked the door ajar and shouted inside.

“I’m here!”

“Make tea!” Was her only response to him announcing his presence.

She wasn’t bothered. Actually, Dani was the one who taught him to do this thing. Few months ago she drove him home after a day of chasing a suspect. It wasn’t fully legal that is was Malcolm who chased him but there was no force in the whole universe to stop him so Gil send him away with JT, while lieutenant stayed with Dani on the stakeout.

Malcolm had been in desperate need of a shower, whole body was sticking with sweat. But he realised it only after Dani went with him upstairs after he invited her upstairs for a tea.

“Go take shower,” Dani pointed at his dusted face. Both him and JT looked like unruly toddlers after a whole day on the playground - but they did catch the guy! “I’ll make some tea.”

He was taking shower and at one moment Dani knocked on the door, opened them slightly and not looking in, told him his phone is getting crazy and some private number is calling him for the fifth time now. Malcolm wrapped a towel around his hips and went to the kitchen. He answered the phone, knowing damn well who it was, and that his father won’t give up.

“Malcolm! I was calling you—”

“I know. What do you want?”

“Why so snappy? Am I interrupting you in something?”

“I was taking shower.” And then a cup that Dani was holding in her hand snapped into three pieces, spilling the hot liquid all over her palm.

“ _FUCK!_ ” Dani hissed, and without much thinking went to the sink, generously pouring cold water on her hand, where skin was becoming more and more red.

Malcolm’s full attention shifted away from the phone call.

“Dani--?”

“I’m fine!”

“Oh, you had a guest in your shower?” Martin’s voice cheered up in the creepiest way possible. “Then I’m sorry for interruption!” And just like that he hanged up.

Malcolm put the phone away and approached Dani at the sink, not paying too much attention to the mess on the floor. He reached to her hand.

“Show me…”

She gave in and moved a little to the side, so Malcolm could reach her hand without taking it from under the stream of cold water. He started gently taking off those few rings she had placed on her fingers and set them aside. After another few minutes, when she diagnosed the major pain is gone and what has left was bearable, Dani grabbed the tap to turn off the water.

He reached to one of the drawers in the island and handed Dani small and soft white towel. Then realised he was still half-naked with only a towel covering him from the hips down.

“Sorry,” he meant the whole situation. “The cup had to have some invisible crack. And I need to put on some clothes. It’s inappropriate.”

Malcolm always had a problem with sensing what is and what isn’t appropriate when it comes to physicality. He just assumed this wasn’t fine with her, but to his surprise it wasn’t a problem for her just as much as it didn’t bothered him.

“It’s just a naked chest, Malcolm.” She said matter-of-factly. “I’ve seen that before.”

Both Malcolm and Dani missed the moment when they have become so comfortable around each other. It probably started exactly with Dani wiring him up to a confrontation with Axel and his mates and when she was afterwards ripping the tape that was holding those wires attached to his skin. Yes, Malcolm flinched but it truly was a reaction to her cold hand and not to the fact he was unbuttoning his shirt in some dark alley in front of Dani.

Since then they were half naked in front of each other few times, in both work and private scenarios. Malcolm was putting vest under his shirt, Dani spilled coffee on her blouse during night shift... That particular moment stuck with Malcom since she just took another shirt from depths of her desk and changed in the middle of empty station, where the only other present soul was Malcolm.

She was in the middle of the sentence and Bright wanted to catch every smart thought leaving her mouth. He was so focused on her words, he missed the fact she had nothing underneath her top… When the delayed realisation hit him after the glance down, he just raised his brows and carried on their conversation.

After announcing his arrival, Malcolm went to the kitchen as he was told. The kettle was set, mugs were ready with tea bags hanging inside. He only just started his quest for sugar when Dani stepped inside the kitchen, wrapped in a large, hot pink towel. Her gaze right away landed on the small table in the corner, where files that he brought landed.

The curiosity at what Malcolm made up after whole night of work took the better of her and she opened the files, scanning the text of his notes. All that time Bright continued his hunt for sugar, which Dani purposely didn’t acknowledge. After quick read through the cold started biting into her bare shoulders and Dani left to her bedroom. As much as she didn’t care about being naked, she cared about being cold. With simple and very comfortable panties on Dani started looking for her hoodie, but the cursed thing was nowhere to be seen.

“POWELL! Where do you keep sugar?”

His sudden scream make her flinch. He was desperately looking for that white death in her cupboards. Dani shouted back, feverishly digging through piles of clothes that were taking up the space in her bedroom.

“YOU WON’T PUT IT IN YOUR TEA!”

They had this battle multiple times before. Dani even went to the extent and got rid of any sugar at the station. She claimed not only sugar kills the true taste of tea but it also can have bad influence on one’s mind. In her opinion it was worth a try to cut sugar from Malcolm’s diet and see what happen.

Bright sighed loudly and stood up, taking his head from the cupboard. The taste of defeat was bitter and there was literally nothing to sweeten it up. As he was doing so, he heard the door opened and someone walked in with confidence. Seconds later a woman was standing in front of him. She was ready to shout, probably to call out Dani but her stare landed on Malcolm and a grin flourished on her face.

“Hello, there.” The women in front of him smirked. “Where’s Dani?”

Completely dumbfounded at the sight of strange woman with green curly hair and milky pale skin, Malcolm pointed to where to look for Dani. 

“Bedroom—”

Sly smile on the guest’s face evolved as she slowly blinked. It only settled in his mind how it all looked, after the words left him mouth. Dani in bedroom and he in the kitchen, doing such domestic thing as preparing the morning tea. None of them moved, when loud bang of opening door resonated.

Dani left the bedroom, in only her panties. The search for the hoodie was ongoing. She didn’t notice her guest right away, and started inspecting her living room - set of two eyes piercing her back. She turned around.

“For fuck’s sake!”

“Hi.” The woman’s smile grew wider. “Is this a kink?” She pointed between Dani and Malcolm. “You - walking around your place naked, and him - in this ridiculously pricey suit, that probably costs more that our monthly income combined.”

With the corner of her eye Dani spotted her hoodie and quickly put it on. Some dignity was saved and she joined them in the kitchen.

“Lorna. Bright. Bright. Lorna.” A quick introduction. From the tone of Dani’s voice Malcolm easily assumed she was annoyed but not surprised with her friend’s actions.

Lorna’s hand shot into Malcolm’s direction. “Pleasure to meet.”

“What are you doing here?” Dani noticed the charm was working on Bright and cut in.

“Was in the area, thought I’ll came by but I clearly am interrupting.”

“Clearly.” Dani huffed in annoyance, and then gave her friend some explanation in a calmer voice. “We work together.”

“I don’t doubt that. He’s your daddy?” 

Malcolm choked on the laugh. The last word he expected to hear in Dani’s kitchen was _daddy_ , specially aimed at him. That one he hasn’t heard before. With wild smile he spoke,“I certainly have enough money to be...”

Malcolm started in a voice of sales representative, humorously trying to sell this idea to Dani, but she wasn’t in a mood for this kind of jokes.

“Or he’s your boss in a day job?”

The idea he could be her boss was ridiculous in so many ways, specially knowing their actual boss very well. Dani shot him very telling and very grounding look, after she spotted his smile.

“No, that is still Arroyo. Bright’s a profiler.” Dani was aware the conversation started to look like if Malcolm wasn’t present which was dangerous - it only gave him time to profile both, Dani and Lorna.

“And he _profiles_ you here?” The innedu was insufferable.

“Could you stop?”

“Why? I’m having fun! That’s the only kind of fun I am allowed to have, and you gonna take this away from me as well?!”

“Don’t be dramatic.”

Malcolm placed two mugs in front of the women, the third one in his hand.

“Oh! And he makes tea!” Lorna earned herself another disappointed gaze from her friend. “Don’t look at me like that. You have questionable taste in men, and in women as well, so let me enjoy his good manners.”

“He makes tea,” Malcolm interrupted. “Both here and in precinct - where we indeed work. And who are you?”

“A friend.”

“It makes two of us. How did you meet?”

Lorna lost her confidence, shifting uncomfortably against the wall. But Dani knew the look on Malcolm’s face wasn’t the reason why. He looked at her in the same exact way after their first night together - when he was high on drugs, sleeping in his shower, and she was sleeping on the counter. A curious gaze from just above the rim of the mug. Lorna was scared of the answer, so Dani took it upon herself.

“On rehab,” she answered without a shadow of a doubt of any kind.

“So he knows?” A brow rose up on Lorna’s face, surprise spilled across her whole mimic.

“Yup.”

“And I know those files are classified so you had to tell him… I’m sensing a lie with the whole _friends_ —”

“She didn’t tell me.”

Everything was going perfectly, Dani had control over where Lorna’s mind was going and of course Malcolm could stay quiet. He had to shine with pride that he was indeed always right.

“Then who did?”

“I figured it out myself. I am very good at my job.”

“That’s why they pay you so much? This suit…”

“No. Trust fund and old money.”

“And I don’t know you?” Lorna’s eyes swinged at Dani - expecting an answer from her.

“No, but you do know his mother.”

“Did I sleep with her?” Shadow of excitement dwelled in that question. 

“Honestly, I don’t want to know. But she’s your client.” Dani knew her friend has no memory to names and usually remembers people she works for, only by associating them with the work she’s doing for them. “Jessica, many biblical paintings.”

“And how do you know the connection?” Woman become suspicious. “I never use last names.”

“Half of them are hanged at his place. Half I saw at his mother’s.” Dani turned to Malcolm and said to him, “The handsome uncle is even more handsome now.”

Bright smiled at that, recalling how he introduced said uncle to Dani - after Watkins phoned his home. A house tour to remember, truly.

Meanwhile, engines in Lorna’s head were getting into place. She finally put two and two together and exclaimed, with genuine shock, “Mrs Whitly is your mom?”

“How do you know her?”

His mother had many connections and this one was not a bit surprising, just rather an interesting one.

“I have renovating art studio. For a full year now,” she shifted her attention to Dani, “and I’m here to invite you to the celebrational vernissage. It’s next weekend. Take yourself some plus one.”

At the last sentence Lorna wiggled her eyebrows, and left as impudently as she entered the place, leaving the half emptied mug with still warm tea on the counter.

“If you’ll take me it would look like I am _your_ sugar baby.”

Malcolm muttered from his corner, and Dani spitted on her chin in burst of laughter. That ridiculous comment made her crack a smile throughout the whole, and it was a real challenge to keep it contained around Gil and JT.

"But then I'll never get into her thick head we're not sleeping together."

"Frankly, I don't care."

"Then it's settled."

Later that week Malcolm had to decline his mother to go with her to that event, and admit that he indeed will be there, but as Dani’s plus one.

“Is she taking you on a date to art studio?”

“Mother—”

“Don’t! You don’t need a chaperone, I’ll going to phone Miss Lopez that I’m sorry but I can’t make it. Have fun, kids!”

* * *

##  **_second time_ **

For Malcolm it felt inherently wrong - to open the doors to someone else’s place, even if he was in the possession of his own copy of the keys. Though everything was happening with full consent of the tenant of this place, he couldn’t shake off the shame. How does his mother always so effortlessly breached into his place, no remorses on her consciousness after violating someone’s intimate space?

Bright only once before used the keys to Dani’s apartment - that morning when he met her friend from the rehab. Now he felt way more self conscious about doing so, since this time Dani wasn’t inside, waiting for him to make her tea after she’ll be done with the shower.

When the lunch time was slowly approaching and the station was getting emptier with each passing minute she told him they can go to her place and look through the collection of files from their new case that she kept displayed on her small coffee table - it was easier to go to her’s than to bring that mess in its wholeness back to the precinct. Dani asked him to grab them something to eat and to go straight to her place, where they could meet up. In the meantime she had to finish something at the station.

They were suspended in this weird state where both of them were clueless what they were. Dani jokingly took him on the date to her friend’s art studio’s birthday party. It actually turned out to be very serious date - they kissed at the end. It happened when they were waiting for her uber. However, when the car arrived “her uber” turned out to be “their uber” and the night ended only after five mugs of tea in her apartment, when the new day was blooming with the soft clear blue sky.

The subject of their kiss wasn’t brought up until Malcolm was ready to leave and Dani walked him to the door.

“About that kiss—” He started, his back pressed to the door and hand twisted around the knob.

“We should do it again,” Dani cut before he had a chance to spiral into any kind of self deprecation pit.

“Should we?” Malcolm was utterly confused.

She only laughed and rose on her tiptoes to kiss him. Her hands cupped his face and his hands grabbed her waist, dragging Dani closer to him. The kiss was quick but deep enough to draw all the air out from his lungs. When Dani stepped away a playful twinkle dance in her dark eyes with a lip-sealed smile to support her joy. Malcolm cleared his throat, a bit embarrassed how quickly he lost his cool when her lips crushed on his.

“Yeah, you’re right. We should.”

And that’s how Bright left her, both were wearing wide grins.

Now Malcolm was balancing in his hand a paper cup holder with two big veggie juices and a paper bag with sandwiches hanging on his wrist. All that while in the other hand he was combing through the fistfull of keys, looking for the right one to insert. As he was wrestling with the stubborn lock, a head appeared from the next door - neighborhood came out to check what was going on. Something not typical was taking place and that lady needed to know why.

"Good morning, Malcolm."

Mrs Kendrick was explained who Malcolm is some time ago, but what were the detail of that circumstance - he had no idea, and Dani refused to enlighten him on that.

"Good morning." Bright managed to open the door but now it was too late, he was like a prey delivered on a silver platter.

"Why are you here? Dani's not home."

"I know. She stayed at work to finish something and send me here. With lunch."

It was incredibly annoying he had to explain himself to that old lady, but she only meant well. And Dani believed Mrs Kendrick was actually warning up to him, that maybe she even liked him, despite the very tough first few times when he knocked on Dani’s door and the neighbour started her investigation.

"Have a nice one!" And she disappeared behind closing door.

Malcolm did the same and entered the apartment, heading straight to the living room. He carefully set all that he was holding down on the small coffee table, to not destroy any sheet of paper that was already there. _That went surprisingly smooth_ , summarized in his head the encounter with the lady. He scanned all the papers reachable for his sight but he couldn’t quite focus, his mind too occupied with just the wait for Dani. Not knowing what to do, he did the only thing he felt comfortable with at that place - he made tea.

It was kinda their ritual - when they were visiting each other it was always him making tea at her's, and she at his. With pace all too familiar Malcolm filled the kettle with water and set on the stove. As he was reaching for the mugs Dani stepped inside and jumped on the small kitchen table.

“Mrs Kendrick says you behaved well today.”

Malcolm turned around, abandoning his quest for mugs.

“How nice of her,” he spilled with a venom and sighed. He definitely wasn’t warming up to that lady.

Dani’s laughter filled the tiny kitchen and Malcolm shot her an icy look. But the smile was contagious and he relaxed a bit. Before he picked up his duty of preparing the tea, the air started warming up form the stove and now presence of two people.

Malcolm unbuttoned his jacket and slid it down his arm, revealing white, perfectly ironed shirt. After he hanged the garthment down on the only chair in the room, Malcolm undone the cuffs and rolled his sleeves up, casually looking into the depths of Dani’s cupboard with teas.

She was shamelessly ogling, loosing all the self-respect in her own eyes. A magical thing it was, a man so casually getting rid of the armor that well-tailored suit was. In her opinion a suit and tie on male’s body were the ultimate equivalent to female’s lingerie - it let the imagination flow perfectly. At the sight of his bare forearms her mouth went dry.

The kettle whistled and Dani so lost in her thoughts was only then drawn away from her supor. Her eyes stayed focused on Malcolm as he handed her a mug with green tea.

"You're reading my mind," Dani praised his choice.

"A great party trick."

Malcolm joked and with a gesture encouraged Dani to led them to the living room. She enthusiastically jump off the table, not spilling a drop of her tea and walked over to the couch. The silence maintained as Dani sat down, set the mug on the table - right in the middle of the files. Malcolm asked her dozen times to not do that, to not put cups on official paper. Dani always agreed but never changed her attitude. So now Malcolm ostentatiously reached for coaster and placed one under her mug, and another to set his down.

Bellyache caused by hunger was haunting Dani for at least an hour, so she dived right into the bag, reaching for a package for her. The tea was too hot so Malcolm reached for a plastic cup filled with green smoothie, taking the extremely funny view of ravenous Dani that simultaneously was trying to focus on papers in front of them.

But something went wrong. A hand that was shattered by him with a hammer seized up and his grasp wasn't firm enough to hold the cup. Within second green goo ended up spilled across Malcolm's white button up.

Dani reacted quicker. She set aside her lunch and grabbed his tie, holding it up, away from the spilled substance.

"Take it off. You won't never get rid of green strains if you'll let it sit."

And before Malcolm reached to the buttons, mindlessly doing what he was told, Dani pulled on knot of his tie to get take it from his neck. Having a problem with fingers too fidgety to get tiny buttons back through the holes a mild panic started crippling towards Malcolm. In a long time he hasn’t felt so embarrassed.

Dani calmly moved closer to him and reached to help. With a deep inhale Bright gave up completely and let Dani finish. He was staring with an empty gaze at her face focused on his shirt. With the garment undone all the way down Dani tucked it out from his pants and headed to the bathroom.

Malcolm was disappointed with himself, alone in the room. Even thing as simple as eating lunch together ended up in disaster when it involved him. With stress pouring out of him, Bright got up and followed where Dani was battling the green stain out of his shirt.

Entering the bathroom what he saw was Dani sitting on the edge of the bathtub and her hands in the sink. She was lightly washing out the stain.

"Dani, you don't have to—"

“I know,” soft smile warmed his heart. “But there’s no need for you to have that shirt ruined. And I won’t let you do this,” she rose her hands up for them to catch his gaze. “Your hands are shaking, you will get the soapy water everywhere - including your eyes. And you'll be of a better use with a sight."

He was standing there, useless and confused. He found the right words only after few shallow inhales.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

She was done with his shirt and set her eyes on Malcolm, with worry. 

"Why is the tremor back?"

"Embarrassment." His throat was tight with shame and fear of what he has just admitted to.

"What are you embarrassed of?"

Softness of her voice in the small bathroom was surprisingly soothing.

"I just splashed smoothie across my chest."

"It's not embarrassing; it’s human. And it happened because of the fractured bones in your hand."

Malcolm was surprised she made that connection. He stood up and approached the sink filled with a water right to it’s rim. He hopelessly run the finger through the surface of the water. Standing so close to her, with his chest naked, she saw his scar - a souvenir from his dad’s friend. And his wrist watch facing inwards, just like Dr Whitly’s. She always found it to be a very strange way of wearing the wrist watch.

With head empty and not caring about the consequences, Dani reached to his scar where Watkins stabbed him. Malcolm flinched in surprise at her touch of cold hands, sleek with the detergent. Towering over he, he slowly cupped her face in silence, no smart words to say. Slowly leaning down Malcolm waited for her to stop him, but Dani only placed the other hand on his waist and waited with neck stretched and eyes locked with his.

They kissed, Dani was sitting at the edge of her bathtub. It wasn’t the most comfortable position they could end up in, but none of them cared much.

Suddenly a loud shout reached their ears, and they jumped off of each other.

"My neighbor argues with news stations.” Dani explained, laughing quietly. Her hands still laying flat on his sides, fingertip far on his bare back. “Once I even heard her arguing with Ainsley"

Malcolm again leaned down, supporting his weight with a hold on the bathtub’s edge. With his face above Dani’s in close proximity he spoke in amusement.

"I can easily imagine that."

And he pushed her back, getting them into the dry bathtub. Dani didn’t expect anything like that from him, but after a burst of laughter stirred with surprise she really enjoyed being pressed by his weight. They continued to make out, lunch forgotten for another fifteen minutes.

* * *

##  **_third time_ **

Malcolm felt like a thief, sneaking into Dani's apartment under the cover of darkness, even though he was very much welcomed. Bright was slowly maneuvering with the keys, avoiding making metallic noises that could cut through the silence of the deep night. He was trying to be completely quiet to not wake up Dani, or her very nosy neighbour. That old lady was a real piece of work, and the last thing he needed was to summon her with all the uncomfortable questions she could ask.

It was half past midnight and Malcolm was supposed to at hers at least two hours ago. While Dani was enjoying her Saturday alone, Bright was obligated to attend with his mother and sister some closed, exclusive charity event; so exclusive the invitations didn’t include plus ones. (“Barbarity,” Jessica said when she open the envelope). The only good thing out of that evening was a ridiculous amount of money they did in fact raised during the dinner. But after the dinner, drinks arrived and as much as he didn’t want to be there, both Jessica and Ainsley demanded Malcolm to stay - their family really needed to look good and united, after the fallout of Endicott’s mess.

Around nine, when if everything had gone according to previously laid out agenda of the day, Malcolm could’ve been already on his way to Dani’s. But instead he sneaked out to phone her, and let her know that their plans went where all of them were going as well - straight to hell. Standing in the hallway, outside of the big room with heavy, red drapes and dark wooden tables, Malcolm was explaining himself to Dani. She took the news surprisingly well, comparing to the amount of guilt that Bright was feeling.

“You can still come.” She answered immediately after he ended spitting out his words, her voice was soft and sober. “Tomorrow’s Sunday, you don’t have to be anywhere, right?”

“But I’ll be in the middle of the night. I’ll wake you up.” Malcolm rubbed his eyes with free hand, pacing the hallway.

“You have keys, make use of them.” And just like that Dani hanged up. So it was decided, that he’ll be coming…

As the event lingered further into the night, something inside him wanted to just text Dani apologies and from his mother’s go back to his place. Dani Powell was very thoughtful, but behavior like that wouldn’t be fair, she clearly wanted his company, even if only for him to be around while she’ll be deep in the slumber. He could do that.

Malcolm managed to not be too loud with the unlocking and then, with him inside, locking the door. Proud of himself he didn’t conjure any troubles Malcolm huffed with a smile and in total darkness walked inside, taking small slow step, his whole body heavy with weariness. The stroll ended in the living room, where he sat down with a long, deep sigh and hanged his head down, stabilizing his silhouette with elbows on the knees. The couch was very uncomfortable, at least to sleep on it, but it wasn’t so bad to sit and regather normality after the whole evening with dirty rich bastard with just a mere imagination of actual charity and empathy. 

He didn’t know how long he has spend in that position but something of the shape of sleep was creeping in, the silence he so desperately tried to maintain had a soothing effect. Stupor settled on his mind and Malcolm missed when Dani entered the area and stepped in front of him, knocking their knees together. Malcolm looked up and saw her sweet smile and gentle, adamant eyes.

Bright had been sure Dani would be asleep by now but she was surprisingly very fresh and alive, in her night attire - some man’s pants hanging very low on her hips (“I haven’t dated a guy in such a long time I forgot how comfortable men's wear is!” Dani had announced after stealing his clothes during one spontaneous weekend at his place) and a hoodie cropped by herself since she claimed “there’s too much fabric on my hips, I hate it”. So she was indeed ready for a sleep...

“How do you feel?” She asked tilting her head to the side, her fingers found their way to his face and tucked a wild strand of hair behind his ear. Then she repeated the motion again and again, caressing him lightly with her fingers, from his temple to the nape of his neck. A touch was barely a whisper above his skin.

Dani took in the sight of him, when Malcolm gave in into her endearment. Some time during the evening, as Dani was wasting her time on social media, she saw a photo that Ainsley posted - a shot of a reflection in a huge lobby mirror, Ainsley in a burgundy mid-length dress with Malcolm standing next to her. Now she couldn’t see what he was wearing, but she knew from that picture. And the knowledge itself made her weak. Malcolm Bright looked unforigably sexy in suits, and today’s choice of three piece garment imprinted with grey tartan was doing all the best to his tired, steel eyes and slender figure.

“I am fucking tired beyond any human comprehension.” Malcolm mumbled into the bare skin of her abdomen.

Dani laughed at him, and it brought something up. Suddenly he was less tired, filled with shadow of energy to stay up with her, in her company.

Dani’s hand slid down to his chin and she run tip of her ring finger on his lips, barely touching them so he couldn’t feel how shaky her hands were... But he could feel the hotness radiating from the palm just an inch away from his face.

“And you kiss your mother with that mouth?” The voice was nowhere near the heaviness he sensed from her touch.

“I kiss a lot with that mouth.” His voice dropped lower, just like the weight dwelling inside Dani.

To support his words Malcolm’s lips landed on her exposed belly. The hand that seconds ago was caressing his face landed in his shoulder so Dani could stay stable when he pushed into her with a force, digging his nose between her muscles and scratching his scruffy cheeks against her skin.

"It that a threat or a promise?" Her voice was breathy, hitching in her chest.

Malcolm placed his palms on Dani’s sides and kissed again, moving slightly from the place where his lips were before. Then his hands went lower. The left one grabbed down onto her calf, his fingers spreading widely; the right one he hooked under her knee and placed her foot on the couch. Peeling his lips away from her skin he looked up, to take in her look.

"Whatever you want, darling."

She looked down, still leaning with one hand on Malcolm’s shoulder. She followed with her gaze where his hand was on her thigh next to his face. Their stares met.

"I want you to call me that more."

The breath in her voice was as shaky as her fingertips. Wherever he touched her muscles tensed, stretching out the skin just above them. The realisation sank in his fogged brain as he looked up. He knew those symptoms all too well. She was all _hot_ and _bothered_.

“So that’s why you waited…” He said, his chin digging into her skin when a grin spread across his face. He kissed through the smile.

Dani tensed, taking her hand from his shoulder, now both of her arms were hanged down her sides.

“I’m not teasing, not poking fun...” Malcolm started explaining himself. Another kiss, lighter this time. “I promise I’ll try to make it worth the wait.”

Malcolm's lips went higher and more to the center. When she felt a wet kiss right above her navel Dani placed both of her hands back on his shoulders. Bright sank his teeth into the thin skin there, causing Dani to tense all her muscles up from that point on her body. He bit harder, until a sharp gasp escaped Dani's lips, sending shiver down her body. He let the skin lose and looked up as her head tilted back in the spasm.

The mental image of how her neck looked like when stretched like that made Malcolm want to go up and kiss her there, mark her with his lips. But that wasn't the case for tonight. He will kiss her and mark her but down her body. That though was even more carnal.

Instead he reached up, under her top and lightly dragged his middle finger across the middle of her throat, down her sternum, through the point he just bit, until the finger hanged on the tightly tied waistband. Malcolm moved with his lips under her belly button and repeated his actions there. Now Dani had two teeth marks, in perfect conjunction on a line between her muscles.

Malcolm's palms went to her back and then down, grabbing possessively her ass before his hands were finally placed on her upper thighs, fingers curled further to the inside, between her legs. Dani felt his fingers brushing against her most sensitive spots, and low hum left her throat as Malcolm gripped her stronger, causing her to swing into him.

“You've been running errands the whole day, you're tired. You really don't have to" Malcolm interrupted her stream of thoughts with sneaking his head under her top, and biting into her underbreast. Dani couldn’t pretend it wasn't doing things to her. "The look of you is enough.”

When Bright’s head left from under the hoodie, he gave her his answer, frowning in disagreement.

“That’s not true.”

His hands slowly went to her front, brushing sides of her thighs on their way there. Malcolm started playing with the waistband of her pants, running his fingers just under it. Another kiss on another place and he pulled on the lace and untied the knot that kept the garment on Dani’s hips. The pants slide down as she set her leg back on the ground, cotton pooling around her feet. She was left with her naked bottom exposed.

Malcolm clasped his hands just above Dani's hip bones, where he suspected her balance point was. With little to no effort, he easily navigated her body down. In a one swift motion he dragged her to his side and himself slid down from the couch ending up on his knees. In another confident move Malcolm threw Dani's leg above his head. She placed her foot on the wooden top of a coffee table, and pushed her knee further away, spreading her legs, with the other one hanging on his shoulder.

There he was, kneeling in front of her. The sigh of him woke up the most carnal needs inside her. He ended up exactly where both of them wanted him to be— between her thighs, looking up with the eyes full of grey and blue twinkles, even in the mist of night's darkness. Malcolm grabbed both of Dani’s thighs from underneath, fingers tightly wrapped around her flesh. She could the see his fingertips digging into the apexes of the thighs.

“No, I really like the view.” She looked down, picking up their previous exchange.

“So do I,” Malcolm responded looking up and locking his gaze with hers. His eyes from under the brows and lashes were strikingly lustful. 

Not wasting time for conversation, first kiss was placed on her leg - on the side side of the knee joint. Dani was looking intensively at his every doing, as Malcolm was leaving wet strains of saliva marking his was up, switching a leg with each kiss.

When he finally reached the thin, sensitive skin on the inner thighs, his teeth sank into her again, as he was looking directly into her eyes. She didn’t gave in right away, but she did eventually, under the heavy stare of her lover she whimpered. A shiver shot through her body. Malcolm moved to the other leg and there, instead of biting - he sucked, which wasn’t any less painful in the sweetest way possible. Dani knew there will be a love bite, a mark only for them to see.

After some more teasing Malcolm finally reach the spot of the wetness, discovering exactly why Dani waited for him. His mouth landed there, tongue separing the lips and her fluids slipped on his lips when he buried his tongue inside her to the accompaniment of her shy moans. Malcolm moved away and encircled with the tip of his tongue her entrance, but not high enough to reach her clit. He was a teaser.

Another circle and with a corner of an eye he noticed how Dani’s knuckles went pale with the force she was squeezing the edge of the sofa. Smirking, Malcolm moved his tongue up and after few more minutes of working around her clit a new set of noises started escaping Dani’s lips.

Only this made him to finally close his lips around her and suck lightly. Her other arm went under the hoodie, to land on her breast, and searched for a release as her fingers spreaded across her chest, squeezing every bit of flesh she could grab onto.

Dani's toes curled and the blissful wave of heat started climbing from there, up her muscles through the calves and thighs, only to meet at her wet core with the contractions around her belly.

Malcolm easily noticed and stopped, dragging his tongue flat across her parts. He separated himself from the place where his tongue was doing its ministrations.

"Hold it in, darling."

They had a conversation about delayed gratification few days ago. Malcolm did mention the wonders it can cause in bed. At first she thought he was joking, but then Dani remembered who she was talking to. He was being serious but truly she didn't expect him to bring this up _now_ , with her legs wide spread and his mouth working up the tension inside her. But she did as told, obeyed and trusted him completely, keeping the building up pressure at bay.

His tongue came back to work, circling around her clit trapped between his lips. He was gentle and it only caused her to moan louder, to somehow force him to go all in. Malcolm knew how to read it and still didn't fasten his pace.

Gasps were drifting from between moans and whimpers, the pattern inconsistent and interrupted with breathy begs in form of his name.

"I'm gonna–" his negative hum cut through her moans.

Dani bit on her finger, digging her teeth deep into her knuckles. Oh, she definitely will have a bruise there… But the pain kept her grounded so Dani could obey Malcolm’s denying grunts. Her cries were barely muffled by a finger between her teeth, but she sensed she had to make her begs more articulated.

"Please," the weak voice broke under the plea, and a content growl from depths of his throat allowed her to finally let go. "Malcolm–"

And that's how she came - with his name whispered, on the breath out. Encouraged by her moans, he didn't stop until her heel was painfully digging into his back when her body was taken over by the last spasms of pleasure.

Malcolm stayed on the floor as Dani was coming back to herself. With breathing stabilized a bit she opened her eyes, and locked with his. Bright shifted his position a little, stretching out both of her legs on his shoulders, feet swinging behind his head. She was too weak to stand up and head to the bedroom. Not like she wanted to...

“Giving you the keys was one of the best ideas I've ever had.” In response Malcolm laughed, kissing on the inner part of her knee. "But next time you want to play with denying me an orgasm– some heads-up would be nice."

"You did great, baby girl." He dragged down his fingers along the back of her leg, ending on the soft skin under the knee.

Dani was already flushed on her face but his words, his baritone colored with satisfaction woke up her filthy pride. She tried to hide a content smile as she spoke.

"Keep the attitude and you'll get yourself into the second round."

"You waited so long, I haven't for a moment suspected that would be enough."

Running her calf along his scratchy jaw she was enjoying the soft material of his jacket rubbing on the back of her leg. She cunningly squinted her eyes at him.

"Don't take the suit off."

"Yes, ma'am."


End file.
